Bonded
by Generic Poetic Term
Summary: Mabel and her friends are celebrating her eighteenth birthday and decide to jokingly summon a demon. Wouldn't it be funny if one actually appeared? This is an AU. I'm really bad at summaries, I apologize. T for mild language and slight sexual references.
1. Bonded

**A/N: **Welcome! I do not own Gravity Falls (unfortunately), or any other accidental references I might've made. I do not claim to have made up this prompt.

Mabel giggled in anticipation, chewing her bottom lip as she typed in the password to her laptop. Her friends, Candy, Grenda, and Pacifica huddled around the screen behind her, waiting to see the results. Pacifica rolled her eyes.

"Mabel, this is stupid. You're only gonna turn eighteen once, why waste it on 'summoning a _demon'_? I mean, who died and made you your brother?" The blonde spat, flicking a lock of thick flaxen hair behind her shoulder with well-manicured nails. Mabel turned to her best friend and frowned. Mabel knew that when it came to her opinion, Pacifica didn't have a filter. As soon as some snarky remark came to her mind, it was past her glossy lips in two seconds flat. Mabel had learned to accept that over time, but it still didn't make it any less obnoxious.

"Come on, Pacifica! It's not like it's actually going to _work._ Plus, maybe the demon can get you those extensions you've been wanting!" Mabel grinned, poking Pacifica in the cheek. The slightly older girl merely scowled in response as the others giggled with each other. Out of the corner of her eyes, Mabel noticed the screen on her laptop had switched to the Google search bar, signaling it was ready for her to type in her request. She bit her lip again and readied her fingers at the keyboard.

_How to summon a demon_, she typed, jamming her thumb on the _[__enter__] _key_. _An abundance of search results came up, and Candy leaned over and clicked on the first one, .

"The first one is usually the one you're looking for," Candy added, tucking a lock of black hair behind her ear. The girls turned their attention back to the screen.

"There are many reasons why one would want to summon a demon...blah blah blah, introduction, yada yada….Oh! here we go. 'The first step to summoning a demon is to draw a circle of 24 inches on the ground or floor. Use whatever substance is available to you.' Er...I have Wite-Out…?" Mabel looked around the room for consent, and after getting it, returned with a bottle of Wite-Out in hand. As per the rest of the instructions, Mabel pricked her finger and chanted, "_Triangulum, entangulum. Veneforis dominus ventium. Veneforis venetisarium!" _All the while trying not to laugh as her friends playfully teased her in the background. After completing the ritual, a moment of silence passed as everyone waited with bated breath, then Mabel let out a shaky, relieved sigh.

"Phew! For a second there, I actually thought something was going to show up!" She declared laughingly, facing her friends.

"I know, I'm relieved too!" Came a grinning, nasally voice from over her shoulder. There was another pregnant pause before Mabel screamed and turned around, falling backwards on her rear.

She looked at the tall man. He dwarfed her, he was probably 6'2" to her 5'3". His skin was lightly tan and he had wild, golden hair. A black eyepatch covered his right eye and the one eye that was showing held a malicious glint and was framed by dark, rather long lashes. He was leaning his forearms on a cane, grinning with mirth. He was rather enticing to Mabel, not that she would ever admit this to herself.

"Ohmygodohmygodohmygod y-y-you WEREN'T ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO _SHOW UP!_" She shrieked. Her friends watched in absolute astonishment and horror as the demon cackled. "The name's Bill Cipher!" he exclaimed happily. A blue glow surrounded his lean frame before he crooked a finger under Mabel's chin and leaned his face into her ear.

"Guess what? You're bonded with me now," he whispered, grinning like the Cheshire.

**A/N: **thanks for taking the time to read the first chapter of Bonded! I really appreciate it!


	2. Growing Feelings

**A/N:** This is an obnoxiously long chapter. But I really want to say THANK YOU to awesomenesshasar for your kind words! They motivated me to stay up until one in the morning writing and revising this chapter! So thank you!

Mabel felt heat flood into her cheeks and she immediately mentally berated herself. She was most certainly _not _getting flustered over a _demon. _Nope. She glanced at him beside her, put a hand roughly to his chest and shoved him away, catching him off guard. As if there were an invisible wall behind him, Bill stood suspended halfway in air, as if he was leaning on something.

"Wh—?"

"Look, kid, here's the thing. I can't leave you. I have to stay within a 24 inch radius of you. The length of that circle you drew on the ground," he cut her off, gesturing to the Wite-Out circle.

"_Kid?!_ I'm 18! How old are you, _Bill?_"

Bill frowned slightly, his visible eye darting to her chest, but disregarding it. He started to count on his fingers.

"Carry the six...uh...Oh! I'm 618," He chirped happily. And at her horrified expression, explained that demon years were different than human years, and that in human years he was 21. And it was at that moment that the full weight of the situation embedded itself onto Mabel's shoulders. The feeling grew, making the knot in her stomach uncomfortably tight. She felt as if she couldn't breathe, and panic began to settle in as well, making her feel sick to her stomach, and her forehead grew clammy.

"Alright, can everyone just _leave, please!? _Especially you!" She yelled, pointing to Bill.

"I told you, I ca—"

"I don't care! I want everyone out!" She cried, blinking back tears. Everyone excluding Bill shuffled out of the door to her apartment, uneasy looks on their faces, and in the instant that followed, Bill had disappeared from her sight. She blinked, wide-eyed, a tear escaping the corner of her eye. She felt her leaden feet begin to carry her heavily to her room. Throwing herself onto her bed, she buried her face into her pillow and let the tears fall. Sobs wracked her small frame and she cursed herself for being so thoughtless. Why did they think summoning a demon would be _fun_? She didn't _want_ a new (admittedly attractive) _demon _in her life! Someone who was always 24 inches away or closer. Someone who would assume she was 10 years old when she was nearly double the age because she was a _little_ lacking in the chest department. Someone who would take her perfectly okay life, shake it around, flip it inside out and then crumple it and leave it to rot. Bile began to rise in her throat, stomach twisting into an even tighter knot. No. It would all be okay. She tried to soothe herself with comforting thoughts and rocking back and forth, causing the bed springs to groan under her shifting weight. Her trembling hands clutched harder on her pillow. There must be some way to break a bond with a demon, right? Yes, she decided. She would find out sooner or later. Her crying steadily decreased little by little, replaced by fits of sniffling and sharp intakes of breath. And as she let sleep take her down into its warm, murky depths, she wondered just exactly how screwed up things really were.

* * *

Mabel awoke the next morning to the incessant beeping of her alarm clock. Blinking owlishly, she smacked her palm against the _OFF _button. It took her a moment to recollect the events of the night prior. She sat up in bed, brown hair bouncing wildly around her face in a style that was distinctly _bedhead_. She glanced around the room. Was it possible? Could she have dreamt it? It must have been a dream because she didn't _see_ a six-foot-two demon anywhere. Frowning, she reached up and drew back the curtains to the window above her bed. A muffled scream and a pillow reflexively thrown at the window later, Bill was grinning as he floated through her window, settling down beside her on her bed.

Mabel glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, scowling. He reached over and plucked something out of her hair, holding it in front of her face. It was a glittery shooting star sticker. She grasped it and stuck it on the wall above her bed.

"Morning, Mabel," he teased, smirking. Her chocolate gaze darted to him in surprise.

"How do you know my name? And how did you leave me last night?"

He shrugged.

"I just floated 24 inches above you, and I'm a mind demon. I can hear your thoughts when I want to," he mused, lightly tapping her forehead. Mabel felt heat rising to her cheeks. _Does that mean he knows I think he's attractive?_ Bill let out a sharp laugh, his left eye widening a touch. Her cheeks grew darker. She brushed it off and stood up, stretching and yawning.

"I need to get ready. Just- follow me around or something." She waved a hand around dismissively. And he did so for the rest of the morning, occasionally teasing her or invading her personal space to keep himself occupied. He found that it was very entertaining to tease this human. Her expressions were amusing and she smelled like peaches. Not that he was making mental notes about her, because he most certainly was not. That didn't mean he couldn't play with her hair just to get a reaction out of her, though. So the morning went on like that, and as they were getting ready to leave her apartment, it finally dawned on him that he had no idea where they were going.

"Hey, Shooting Star. Where are we going anyway?"

Ignoring the obnoxious nickname, Mabel replied with,

"We're going shopping for an outfit and new perfume for a birthday party my brother's girlfriend is throwing for us two days from today. And I'm starting to think we also might need to get you some normal clothes, because I don't think _that,_" she gestured to his top hat and yellow tailcoat, "Is going to cut it for pretending to be a normal person." The demon stifled a groan and wordlessly followed Mabel out the door. Hopefully this wouldn't be _too _horrific or nauseating. He had heard horror stories about human girl shopping endeavors. No, he waved it off. It would be fine. And for once in his life, he believed himself.

* * *

They stood outside of a mall Victoria's Secret, Mabel grinning, Bill looking thoroughly disturbed.

"HahahAHAHA. Haha. Yeah. That's funny. Me? In there? Good one."

"Aw, come on! I'm not getting anything weird, just perfume," she replied, grabbing his arm. For a reason unbeknownst to Bill, his face began to feel hot. He glanced once more at her grinning face and sighed, defeated and agitated. Mabel shook the tall demon in excitement and tugged him along with her into the store.

She had been browsing through the store's wide selection of perfume for about 20 minutes before she glanced to one side, and after seeing no sign of Bill, glanced to the other, just in time to see him shove something in her face, grinning wickedly.

"HEY, MABEL, YOU SHOULD BUY THIS, IT'D LOOK GREAT ON YOU!" He shouted for anyone within a mile-radius to hear. It took the brunette about half a second before she registered what he was holding. She shrieked, going red enough to stop traffic and yanked the skimpy underwear from his grasp. It also took about half a second before a clean-cut looking Victoria's Secret associate came clicking toward them in stilettos.

"Sir, Miss, you're causing a disturbance for other customers. We're going to have to escort you from the store."

* * *

About an hour later, they arrived back at the apartment, sans perfume but with an outfit for Mabel and some new clothes for Bill. A thought had occurred to Mabel whilst they were shopping, but she disregarded it. Until they were home.

"Uh, Bill?"

He merely grunted in acknowledgement. Shopping. Was. _Awful. _His feet hurt and there was nothing he could do about it, since they had been in public, and according to Mabel: 'you can't go doing weird demon things in public!' He imagined her voice in an irritating falsetto.

Mabel began to twiddle her thumbs.

"I...kinda need to change…"

There was a pause before he realized she meant that since he couldn't leave, she needed to change with him next to her. His ears began to grow warm. He waved at her as if to say, 'go ahead' and turned around. She did a double check to make sure he wasn't looking, and then began to quickly undress. His face was getting warmer by the second and it felt like hours that he was standing there, with her practically naked behind him. She must be done by now, right? He decided it would be a fantastic idea to turn around and check.

"Hey, you done ye—" The sight he saw when he turned around was one that shut him up, made him red in the face, and caused him to clamp a hand over his eye all in a matter of seconds. Mabel quickly spun around, facing her back to him, eyebrow twitching in irritation and temperature increasing in embarrassment.

"Turn around! Don't look!" She managed to squeak out. It was far beyond Bill what compelled him to say what he did next.

"You don't need perfume. You already smell good. Like human fruit."

….Oh, no no no that was awful- What was it about this human that made him say and do such stupid things? She was just a human girl. Who summoned him by accident, no less! Now he was bound to her for the rest of his life. And hers. He was a demon! An icy-hearted, soul-sucking being of Hell, for Gods' sakes! He shouldn't feel this way! Yet he couldn't help from enjoying the way warmth pooled into his stomach when she looked at him, or the way the hair on the back of his neck stood up when she touched him, or the goosebumps that rose across his arms when she smiled at him. Oh, how the heavens opened up for her when she smiled—he pinched himself. He couldn't be thinking this way. This couldn't be...love...could it..? No, he dismissed the thought quickly. There was no way in Hell that he could be falling for a _human._ A soft chuckle escaped his lips. And a few minutes later, Mabel was thinking the exact same thing. There was absolutely _no way _she would fall for a _demon._

**A/N: **siLLy babies.


	3. Choose Your Battles

**A/N: **So this chapter turns a bit dark towards the end...fair warning. Sorry I took so long to update, there were issues with Google Docs, but everything's fixed now! I would really appreciate it if you dropped a review on the way out!

Mabel cracked an eye open to the harsh sunlight streaming through her window, assaulting her eyes. Her gaze was then drawn to the sight next to it, a grinning Bill Cipher, sitting cross-legged on the edge of her bed. She took note of the fact that he was dressed in some of the clothes she had bought him when they went shopping, a black T-shirt with a yellow triangle screenprinted in the center, and gray jeans. Had he been watching her sleep? She watched curiously as his cheeks went a shade darker than usual. Oh, right, he could hear her thoughts. Whoops. She pretended not to notice as she ran her fingers through her long hair, stopping at the tangles at the bottom. That had always bothered her, how her hair was straight until it got to the ends, where it curled and became a hazard for her to deal with. Oh, well. The hair wants what it wants. She was still curious as to why he was sitting on the edge of her bed, leering at her like sin, holding her phone— waaait…

"Why do you have my phone?" She asked, inclining her head slightly. He reached out and held it in front of her face, revealing a text from Pacifica.

"The rich one texted you!"

It read:

_Mabel we need 2 talk. Comin over._

Mabel jumped in surprise, scrambling frantically to get up.

"I need to get ready! Did she say when she was coming over?"

Bill shrugged.

"She's outside now. She's been banging on the door for like, an hour, which was really irritating at 6:00 in the morning. I couldn't do anything about it, though because I'm bonded to you and couldn't move," He pinched the bridge of his nose, "but trust me when I say that it was really, really annoying. I ended up just knocking her out through mind possession, though, so it's okay."

Two seconds later, there was a red handprint on Bill's right cheek, and a sharp stinging sensation that followed.

"Don't knock out my friends, Bill Cipher!"

He let out an angry yelp, cupping his cheek with both hands and glaring daggers at the brunette.

"Don't smack me in the face!" Yet it astounded even him that he had done nothing but yell at her for her actions. If it were anyone else, he would've trespassed the barriers of the person's mind, manipulated their thoughts, played with them, and obliterated the person's morals. He would've forced his own thoughts into their subconscious, and made them do things they would never have done otherwise. He would've torn out things from the deepest, darkest, most twisted corners of the person's mind and made them a horrifying reality. He would have made them pay for bringing harm to him. He was a force to be reckoned with! Yet why when he was around this girl, did he feel so...equal?

Mabel flew up from her bed, a flurry of fluffy brown hair and strawberry pajama shorts, unintentionally yanking Bill along after her through the bond. He let out a strangled choking noise as she ran into the next room, flinging open the door and staring at her best friend lying in a crumpled heap the hallway, out as a light. She shot the demon one more death glare for good measure and began to unsuccessfully attempt to drag pacifica into the apartment. This girl would not budge! What was the deal? Bill looked the situation down with one scrutinizing eye before remarking snarkily,

"...What the hell are you doing?"

"Oh, like you could do better!" Mabel yelled in frustration, throwing her arms up in the air. He let a snarky grin slip across his lips and put a hand to his chest in mock sympathy.

"Allow me," he whispered, sliding past her. He cleared his throat and looked back at Mabel deliberately, and with a snap of his fingers, Pacifica woke up with a snort. He winked at Mabel, and she couldn't fight back the grin that made its way across her face.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I don't have demon powers, cheater," she teased, elbowing him in the side. His grin stretched a bit further, but he didn't allow himself to acknowledge that. Mabel crouched down to eye-level with Pacifica and helped her up off of the floor. Pacifica blinked groggily, rubbing her forehead.

"Wha...where…?" She looked around her at Mabel, then her gaze darted to Bill. Her eyes narrowed and she curled her lip back in disgust.

"You dressed it up," she sneered, addressing Mabel but glaring at Bill. Bill looked affronted at having been referred to as an 'it'.

Mabel grabbed the hands of both Bill and Pacifica, desperately trying to salvage any sort of normalcy, but the two just glared at each other.

"Hey, guys let's go inside and we'll talk, huh?" She smiled nervously. They each followed her inside, trading looks of hellfire. Mabel sat them both down on the couch and seated herself in between them. Pacifica folded her arms over her chest.

"The only reason we're letting you sit with us is because you can't move from Mabel, Asshole" she said disinterestedly, inspecting her nails.

Bill rolled his eye pretended to inspect his own nails, mocking pacifica. It was not at all surprising to Mabel that Pacifica made no visible effort to conceal her utter disgust and distaste for Bill. And Pacifica began to talk, apologizing to Mabel that she had not talked to her since she had thrown her and her friends out, and that she was sorry for leaving Mabel, her best friend, alone with 'that disgusting beast', she apologized and talked about how she and the rest of their friend group was worried for her. She said that she and the others had vowed to try and break the bond between Bill and Mabel. After she had said that, Mabel couldn't put her finger on why an emptiness grew in her chest for a brief moment. Pacifica continued with,

"And to, you know, get your mind off things, or whatever. I'm taking you to the fair."

"But, Pacif—"

"No arguments," She countered shortly, holding up one finger. "Let's go."

* * *

As Mabel and Bill sat in the back of Pacifica's glossy black stretch limo, Mabel began to notice that Bill was becoming increasingly fidgety and restless beside her in his seat. She let her gaze fall over him, subtly noting the way that his eye was a fraction wider than usual, the way he clutched the bottom of his shirt so tightly that his knuckles were bleached white, the way he thought she didn't notice that he was inching closer to her every few seconds. It couldn't have been that he was...scared, could it? Should she...comfort him, somehow...? The last thing she wanted was to embarrass him. Maybe just a hand on his knee? She swallowed the lump that had been rising in her throat, tucking a stray lock of chestnut hair behind her ear. WHY DID THIS HAVE TO BE SO DIFFICULT?! She was the _boss _at helping people! But Bill confused her and terrified her. Enticed her and infuriated her. He made her so nervous, yet so serenely calm all at the same time. Warmth pooled into her stomach and she felt heat flood into her cheeks. Why did she feel this way? She felt so, so close to him, as if she'd known him for her entire life, yet something was still missing, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't figure out what it was. Her next thought hit her like a freight train. Suddenly, she wanted to touch him. Not a mere friendly hug, or even a tender caress. She wanted to touch him, to feel his warm skin under her fingertips and know his whole being through and through. She wanted to taste the salt of his tears, feel his laughter ring through her ears, and to hold his soul close to her heart. She reddened impossibly more and dropped her face into her hands. She was so, so impossibly confused.

She set her jaw. Before she gave herself time to rethink her decision, she dropped a limp hand onto his knee. Bill nearly choked, then flushed, eyebrow twitching. Her hand spasmed in a desperate attempt to keep from shaking.

What? What did this mean? _Why had she put her hand on his knee? _Maybe it would be a good idea to take a peek into her mind and find out. He glanced at her face to make sure she wouldn't notice. Squinting in concentration, Bill tuned his senses the the enigma that was Mabel Pines' subconscious. It was like transitioning from a walk in the park to the climax of a rave. He jumped in surprise and cringed. There were thousands of millions of tiny little sentences crashing at each other and at his own mind in rapid succession. There was so much going on, it was so loud. His head pounded and he pinched the bridge of his nose to relieve the tension. He pulled out of her mind with great effort and slumped down against his seat, eyeing the hand on his knee with a level of intensity that was slightly concerning. Damn it, he had wanted to know. What he did hear, though, was a lot of "him" and "his". Bill scowled. Who the hell was this "him"? For some reason, the thought of another man coming within a twelve mile radius of Mabel did _not _sit well with him, which was perhaps the understatement of the year. He glanced down at her again.

...She really was rather attractive.

Her slightly puffy cheeks were flushed prettily, a contrast to the smooth pale of the rest of her skin. Her lips were pink and looked soft, however small. Her warm eyes were the color of melting chocolate, and were perhaps the most striking things about her. They were wide and wondrous, taking in every little detail of life with great optimism and vitality. He couldn't help but want to swim in those eyes and _why the living hell was he thinking such disgustingly corny things?! _As he took in her appearance, he noticed how wide and unsure her eyes were, how she was struggling greatly trying not to snatch her hand away from his knee, how she gnawed relentlessly on her bottom lip. It couldn't have been that she was...scared, could it? Should he...comfort her, somehow? The last thing he wanted was to embarrass her. Well, right now, anyway. Maybe just a hand on hers? WHY DID THIS HAVE TO BE SO DIFFICULT?! He was the _boss _at controlling people's emotions! But Mabel confused him and terrified him. Enticed him and infuriated him. She made him so nervous, yet so serenely calm all at the same time.

Setting his jaw, he made up his mind. Before he gave himself time to rethink his decision, he dropped a limp hand on top of her own. Both flushing and staring at their shoes, they sat awkwardly like that for the remainder of the car ride.

* * *

The rest of the day was pretty enjoyable. Well, as enjoyable as it could be with two blondes that had it in for each other in a semi-close proximity. The three rode rides (albeit Bill being terrified of them, much to the amusement of Pacifica), ate copious amounts of cotton candy, soft pretzels, and caramel apples, played rigged games, and walked until their feet were sore. Pacifica and Bill didn't hate each other any less, and Mabel didn't enjoy either's company any less, all in all it was an enjoyable day, and for once in recent days did Mabel feel completely normal and at ease.

Until the moment Mabel heard someone familiar call her name.

Mabel's eyes grew as wide as saucers and she felt every last bit of color drain from her face. Her mouth froze open in shock. She _knew _that voice. That was the voice Mabel hated with every fiber in her being. The voice that built up her heart and tore it out with no remorse. That voice was nauseating. It made her sick to her stomach. Without even turning around, she knew who it was. Bill stiffened. Anyone with half a brain could sense Mabel's discomfort from a mile away.

The voice was getting closer, trying to get her attention, freezing her where she stood. She was having a hard time moving. The footfalls were becoming louder. Pacifica noticed who it was, gasped and moved closer to her friend, tugging on the sleeve of her cable knit sweater.

"Mabel, let's go," she muttered quickly. Mabel didn't budge.

She gritted her teeth and turned swiftly around, ready to face the awful person coming up behind her.

"Jeff," She gritted out, pupils minuscule. Jeff caught up with them, scratching his beard and panting heavily.

"Hey, Mabel! So, uh...it's been awhile."

The phrase "if looks could kill" came to the forefront of Bill's thoughts. Pacifica just held onto Mabel protectively, a deeply concerned look plastered on her face. Bill entered Mabel's mind without a second of hesitation. He needed to know who this was.

_"Sorry I lied, Doll," Jeff drawled, flashing her a feral grin. _

_Mabel fell back against the wall as wave upon wave of nausea crashed into her. She was disgusted. She was horrified. Tears welled up in her wide eyes, mouth hanging open in shock. _

_"But...y..you were Norman...perfect, sweet, respectful Norman..." She whispered, voice wavering as the tears that had welled up in her eyes threatened to spill. She sniffled. _

_Jeff shrugged, still grinning and caged her against the back of the building with his arms. _

_"Don't always trust the internet, kid. You're sixteen, right? That's legal," He chortled, leaning his face closer to hers. He kissed her jaw wetly and she yelled for help and whipped her face away from his, her cheek pressing into the cold brick of the building behind her. As her face was turned to the side, she noticed something pressed up against the back of the building. A leaf blower. Also known as a serviceable getaway tool. Her eyes flicked to the pervert caging her in and back to the leaf blower. Before he could notice what she kept looking at, she ducked under his arms, hoisted the leaf blower into her own arms, and bashed him over the head with it. He fell to the ground in an instant and she ran, hair whipping at her face and biting wind lashing at her tear-stained cheeks. She grabbed her bedazzled cell from her skirt pocket and with trembling hands dialed 911, telling them all about what had happened. Tears still tracked her cheeks and her vision began to dip and sway, before she fell limply to the ground, vision going black. _

Bill yanked out of Mabel's mind with an enraged scream, vision going red.

He was out for blood.

He speed walked toward Jeff. Jeff had about two seconds to realize what was going on before he got a fist in the face and a shoe in the groin. Mabel and Pacifica let out simultaneous gasps. And so Bill went at it, relentlessly beating up the man until his hell fire would be sated and burning brightly. He had never experienced this level of fury before. He gave Jeff a swift kick to the face. For the first time, he had wanted to kill this man. Genuinely and truly. He brought his knee up on the man's chin, pulling his shoulders down. Bill had no remorse or regret for a disgusting pig. He dodged Jeff's disoriented, blind punches. This person was less than human, and he _disgusted _Bill. A fiercely bright blue glow surrounded Bill. He caught Jeff in the back with his knee, knocking him unconsciously to the ground. As he was just about done, he wiped his face with his sleeve and spat on the ground near Jeff's face.

He made his way over to Mabel, steadily calming down as the blue glow ceased. Mabel had sunken to her knees, and now stared up at Bill, eyes glistening with tears. She sniffled and stood up.

Bill was slapped for the second time that day. He touched a hand to his cheek in surprise, eye wide in shock. Mabel then proceeded to throw her arms tightly around his waist and bury her face into his stomach, letting her sobs loose. He heard a muffled and watery,

"_Don't fight my battles for me." _

A gentle smile graced his lips and he placed his arms atop her head. He didn't have the heart to tell her that they probably had about 10 minutes before the police would arrive. They would worry about that later.

And as Pacifica watched the way Bill interacted with Mabel, and how they treated each other, teased each other, but secretly respected each other, she knew at the very core of her being that she was no longer the one Mabel would rely on. She was no longer the best friend that Mabel had. She couldn't have stopped the tear that rolled down her cheek if she tried.

**A/N: **So yeah, this Chapter got a bIt dark towards the end...please don't hesitate to tell me if i offended you.


	4. Party Time!

**A/N: **PHEW, that took a long time to update! I think this is my favorite chapter that I've written so far!

"Oh. Oh wow," Mabel mumbled, stunned. Bill just stood there, gaping at the ridiculously large vacation home that couldn't _possibly _have belonged to Mabel's brother and his girlfriend. It was most likely three stories tall with a lawn, and an underlit pool off to the side that stood out against the dark sky. The lawn was littered with smatterings of people clumped together in groups. They all were dressed in semi-formal clothes and neon-hued party hats. Elation began to seep into Mabel's skin, spreading a wide grin across her face. She looked up at Bill, wide eyes twinkling with excitement. She wrapped her bare arms around his own lanky arm and began to make her way quickly to the front of the house, the puffy peach skirt adorned in shimmery yellow gossamer of her dress swishing around her pale knees.

Bill couldn't help but notice that she had become more accustomed to touching him freely after the Jeff incident, much to his embarrassment and, admittedly, slight intrigue. He would be slouching on her (he liked to think of it as _their _couch) couch, gazing at the grainy television screen with a glassy, disinterested eye and she would throw her legs across him and lean against the arm of the couch, grinning to herself. Or he would be trying to sleep on the floor beside her small bed at night when the twinkling stars and pale blue moon illuminated the black expanse of sky visible through the window of Mabel's quaint bedroom, and he would get only a whiff of sweet peaches as a warning before Mabel was sprawled on top of him, sound asleep and snoring softly into his chest. The first time, he was too humiliated to say anything and eventually fell asleep, and he woke up the next morning to find a blushing Mabel staring him straight in the face agitatedly. The second and third time she fell off her bed, he would gently nudge her half-awake and hoist her up to her own bed, albeit still being slightly irritated and embarrassed.

He stared at her curiously as she tugged him along to the front of the house. Had she stopped resenting him for being bonded to her for the rest of their natural lives? The thought sent a spike of warmth through his chest, and he found he rather liked the feeling. But then another thought occurred to him, making his warm gaze grow icy. Since he was only a lesser demon, however powerful he might be for one, he didn't live forever. Would he spend his life at Mabel's side, with her when she found her true love, with her when she got married to the bastard, with her when they decided to–

he gasped aloud.

–have _children?_

He shuddered visibly and gagged loudly. Needless to say, he wasn't fond of human children. Nor did he want to think about having to watch Mabel create them with someone else. NOT THAT HE WANTED TO CREATE THEM WITH HER HIMSELF, BECAUSE HE ABSOLUTELY DID NOT. He threw his free arm across his face and growled lowly at his poor choice of thought. The young woman in question paused a moment before inclining her head questioningly. He waved it off and kept walking with her to the entrance of the large building.

They made it to the door, after having to evade small crowds of people wishing Mabel a happy birthday and wanting to strike up a conversation with her, much to Bill's annoyance. She rapped her knuckles loudly on the door and it swung open to reveal a grinning pale redhead who was quite tall.

"Hey, dude!" She yelled over the throng of people dancing and loud music pulsing throughout the house. Mabel's grin stretched further and she hugged the woman tightly, letting go of Bill's arm.

They pulled away and the redhead took notice of Bill.

"Come on, where's my introduction, Man?" she asked Mabel.

"Oh! Duh. Bill, Wendy. Wendy, Bill."

Wendy's eyes flashed with something, but it was gone before Bill could take notice. She smirked to herself and held out a hand. Bill shook it uneasily.

"So, where's my Bro-bro?" Mabel asked, her gaze darting about the room.

Wendy waved a hand as if to say, _follow me_ before disappearing into the crowd. Mabel and Bill followed closely behind her, Mabel humming in excitement. She hadn't seen her brother since he went off to college, and she was eager to see him again.

She felt someone tap her shoulder and she turned around.

"Excuse me, Miss, but have you seen my sister anywhere?"

"Dipper!" She exclaimed, hugging the man. He looked to be about 5'5" with brown hair and brown eyes identical to Mabel's. The beginnings of scruff were visible on his chin. Bill scratched his own scruff. 'Dipper' (weird name in Bill's opinion) laughed at his sister's reaction and stepped back.

"Broseph! You're like _two whole inches _taller than me now! I can't make fun of you anymore!"

Dipper laughed again and stepped closer to a grinning Wendy. Mabel tried her hardest not to snicker at the fact that his girlfriend was still taller than him by at least two inches. Dipper's gaze flicked to Bill. A look of shock crossed his features and it was immediately followed by one of dim suspicion. Mabel grabbed Bill by the hand and tugged him closer to the group.

"This is Bill! He's my, uh…"

"I'm her boyfriend," Bill chimed in gleefully. Mabel squeaked out a weak protest and tried her very hardest to keep the blood from rushing to her face. Bill snickered and poked Mabel's cheek, only to have her swat his hand away.

"He's a _friend," _she spat, glancing back at Bill. Bill was shocked as warmth spread throughout his body. She considered him a friend? He brushed it off and tried not to look too pleased at her comment.

The brother, however, looked none too pleased. He gazed at Bill with disdain and Bill glared back at him haughtily. Though there was a distinct hint of confusion to Dipper's expression, as if there was something he couldn't place about Bill. Mabel threw an arm around her brother's shoulders, and the other around Bill's waist, as she couldn't _reach _Bill's shoulders, Bill noted with amusement.

"Come on, guys, let's go party! Celebrate the big one-eight!" She interjected, grinning widely. She tugged them both along to the living room, where most of the dancing was happening. Bill glanced around, slowly realizing with growing dread that he **couldn't dance to save his life.** Dipper slipped from her grasp.

"Sorry, Mabel. Not much of a dancer." He shrugged, offering his sister an apologetic smile. She made a raspberry noise at him and gave him a thumb down as he shrugged, laughing, and retreated to the snack table. Bill's gaze flicked to Dipper, and then back to Mabel.

"Ah... yeah, Shooting Star. Mabel. I think I'll sit this one out, too," he muttered, scratching the back of his neck. Mabel grabbed his hands and looked up at him.

"What? Why?"

He shrugged noncommittally and pulled his hands from her grasp.

She exhaled in exasperation and rolled her eyes.

"What is it with guys and dancing?" She questioned, narrowing her eyes. They widened in realization for a quick second.

"Don't tell me...you can't dan–" She was cut off by a grinning Wendy grabbing her arm and hauling her to the dance floor, but conveniently, and suspiciously, still close enough to not be outside the limits of the bond. The girls laughed together and began to dance. Bill turned back to look at Dipper and now realized that he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He cursed under his breath and made his way over to the snack table, dread increasing with each step. He leaned his elbow on the side of the table across from Dipper.

Dipper looked at Bill directly in the eyes and with a completely straight face, dug his hand into the bowl of Doritos atop the table, brought one back up and crunched hard on it unflinchingly, all the while not breaking eye contact with Bill. For some reason, Bill felt...threatened. He swallowed and looked back at the dance floor, feeling the weight of Dipper's gaze on him while he slowly chewed Doritos, not breaking his straight-faced demeanor.

After about two minutes of the uncomfortable situation, Bill pushed up from the table and walked swiftly to where Mabel was dancing with Wendy, tapping her shoulder insistently. She turned around and looked at Bill, before a ruthless grin spread across her lips like butter, eyes glinting with mirth. She waved for Wendy to go away without breaking eye contact with Bill. He scowled down at her and crossed his arms over his chest defensively. Wendy walked over to Dipper, slugging him in the arm and muttering something that sounded vaguely similar to 'glass bowl' before she rested her cheek on his shoulder while he grinned down at her.

"You don't know how to dance," Mabel stated, grin stretching. Bill scoffed and looked away, but didn't deny it.

She laughed and hip-checked him lightly.

"That is so hilarious. And so adorable."

He felt his cheeks heat up and his scowl deepened. She laughed again and grabbed him by the hands.

"Come on! I'll show you!"

Mabel dragged him along, Bill trying to dig his feet into the floor and come up with half-assed excuses all the way.

She pulled him closer and began to sway to the music, looking up at him from underneath her lashes. He stood there awkwardly and began to sweat. Her heated gaze made him feel hot around the collar and his heart paced just a bit faster. What was he supposed to do? It looked like she was just moving to the beat of the music. Should he do that, too? He began to rock back and forth on his feet unsurely. Her lips quirked up in a smile and her eyes lit up like christmas trees. He began to feel a little more at ease and began to move rhythmically to the music. She did the same, twirling and dancing around him like wisps of smoke around sizzling coals. He was sizzling, after all. He smirked at his joke and twirled Mabel. The action seemed to have caught her by surprise and she gaped up at him for a moment or two before smirking and taking him by the hand, and closing the distance between them in close, practiced steps. She flashed him a devilish grin before dipping him, one hand on his back to support him. She leaned with him, then quickly hoisted him upright, shifting her stance and moving her arm up, allowing him to spin her into his arms. They parted for a second, looked at each other, and went into a laughing fit. The laughter died down, and they each looked each other directly in the eyes, beginning to stare at each other and study the other person's faces longer than was usual for a mere friendship. Neither willing to tear away their gaze, and like an invisible force that neither could explain, they began to slowly gravitate towards each other, gazes becoming more heated and cheeks becoming more flushed. Heat radiated off the two, it was all each other could feel besides the presence of one another. Neither knew what was happening as their faces grew closer and closer to each other, lids beginning to flutter shut and elation beginning to swell their chests. Their lips grew closer to one another before Bill felt an insistent tap on his shoulder.

He tore his gaze away from Mabel and the heartbreakingly crestfallen look that had befallen her face. He was livid, and his eye flashed a glowing, iridescent blue in rage. Dipper's jaw fell open and his eyes widened in thorough shock, but that was only visible for a moment before he composed himself.

"Mind if I cut in?"

Bill flashed him a murderous glare and responded coolly,

"Thanks, but I'm taken."

Dipper rolled his eyes and pushed Bill to the side, grabbing Mabel's arms to dance to the slow song that neither Mabel nor Bill had noticed had come on. Bill retreated, once again, to that damned snack table and leaned against the wall, pinching the bridge of his nose to relieve the pressure in his head.

"Mabel. What. _On Earth. Are. You. Thinking?! _That guy is a _demon, _Mabel. A _demon."_ He hissed.

Mabel's jaw snapped shut and her eyes widened in fear.

"_How would you know that?" _She hissed back. "And it's not like we were doing anything, we were just dancing," she mumbled irritatedly under her breath.

Dipper's expression fell into the '_are you kidding me?' _face and he crossed his arms at her question.

"I just know, okay? Trust me when I say I can recognize a demon when I see one. I've grown accustomed to them."

She opened her mouth to say something but he cut her off.

"Look, the point is, I don't want you sucking face with demons. End of story."

She looked affronted at his sentence and crossed her arms over her chest defensively, scoffing in an offended manner.

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa, let's get a few things straight, here! One: _**we were not sucking face. **_Two: I am a legal adult, and you have no say in who or what I choose to make out with! Even though that is _furthest _from what we were doing!"

He scoffed condescendingly and rolled his eyes.

"Oh yeah? What were you doing, then?"

"We– we were– w– _AUGH_!" She shrieked, grabbing Bill by the arm and roughly shouting that she needed fresh air while storming out of the house.

She hauled him outside into the frigid night air, planting herself on the curb outside the house, Bill following suit. She planted her face into her hands and Bill casually shielded his own face with a hand at his brow.

"What is wrong with us?" She mumbled. Bill exhaled sharply and shook his head.

"I don't know. Everything?"

She let out a dry, humorless laugh and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Look. Bill. I don't know...what would've happened back there...but...can we agree to try and forget it? At least for now?"

Bill peered at her through his girlishly long lashes. Those words made him feel...empty. They made _her _feel empty. Yet he nodded, and she accepted it without question. They fell into an uncomfortable silence. They both sat there, gazing at the twinkling stars that stood out against the black cloak of sky, lost in thought. A new thought occurred to Mabel.

"Dipper knows." She didn't have to explain what he knew, or how, Bill knew what she was talking about.

"I figured," he responded shortly. "I still think you should tell him. You know, formally."

She nodded numbly and stood up from the curb. Bill stretched like a cat, and stood up, following after her as she walked back to the house.

She explained everything to Dipper. Everything from the night they were bonded, to the moment leading up to where they were at that moment, omitting the vaguely embarrassing bits. After she was done explaining everything, a grin stretched across his face and he responded with,

"I knew it. How could I not have learned a thing or two about demons over the past two years?" His eyes flicked to the redhead beside him.

"How could I not know one when I see one?"

**A/N: **I hoPe you see wHy this is my favorite chapter so far.


	5. Reflection

**A/N: **I AM SO SORRY. SERIOUSLY. I sincerely apologize for taking a million and one years to update. And happy belated birthday to Mi Amora Cadanca! I'm sorry I couldn't update on your birthday, darling. Anyway, I can't believe how popular this story has gotten! I love reading your reviews, no matter when you leave them or on what chapter, I appreciate every one. You people are too kind. So thank you! Phew, that was a long author's note.

Mabel sat cross-legged on her bed, leaning her chin on a hand and staring out the window as icy sheets of torrential rain lashed harshly against the glass. The weather had been going on like this for hours, unrelenting. The streets were slick with rain and hazily reflected a blend of colors that emanated from the lights of streetlamps and stoplights that stood out against the hazy sky. Mabel tapped her fingers against her knee restlessly. She absolutely hated being cooped up like this, unable to go anywhere without fear of being drenched to death. Was that even possible? She guessed probably not, but that didn't make this any less frustrating. All she could think about was that dumb party, and that dumb dance, dumb Bill, and that dumb almost-kiss. She glanced furtively over her shoulder at the man sitting behind her, his back up against hers. She may have secretly enjoyed the fact that they were using each other for support, back to back.

_**NO**_.

She _needed _to learn how to control her mind. For all she knew, he could be reading it at that very moment. After glancing at him again and noticing no visible reaction, she concluded that he wasn't. She looked back to the window and let out a deep sigh.

"Bill! We need to do something! We can't just stay cooped up here forever!"

He merely grunted in response and heaved a dramatic sigh.

"I don't _like _rain," he whined, waving his hands around for emphasis.

"You're such a baby for a demon," she muttered under her breath furrowing her brow in frustration. She felt a blinding white burning sensation explode behind her eyelids for a split second and shrieked, more out of surprise than pain. She whipped around and glared daggers at the tall demon.

"Who's the baby, now?" he mumbled to himself in smug satisfaction.

God, he was such an ass. Why did he have to go and hurt her, whether or not she was actually hurt? He felt bad. Not bad enough to apologize, though. That would be embarrassing.

Nope. He would most definitely not apologize. Not in any way, shape, or form. These thoughts flitted across the forefront of his mind as he muttered a reluctant apology. She sighed in exasperation and allowed herself a small smile over her shoulder at him. She also allowed herself to catch the way he folded his mile-long legs underneath himself into a more comfortable position and drummed his long, dextrous fingers against his knee, watching him glare at the wall adjacent to them. Was he angry? She wondered what he could possibly be angry about.

He frowned not-so-subtly.

She noticed he had been in a bad mood ever since the party.

….Could he have been irritated about…._that _moment? She bit her lip and noticed his frown deepening as his hands clenched into fists, knuckles going white.

…Had he really thought it was _that_ bad?

"_**No!**_ Now _shut it_, I thought we agreed to forget about that!" He blurted, going red in the face and eye colors inverting for a split second as he looked back at her. She blinked at him and held her hands up defensively.

"Sheesh, sorry."

He merely scowled at her and went back to brooding to himself.

She rolled her eyes at him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"_Bill," _She whined, dragging out his name, sending his thoughts careening into shamefully unsanitary places, which in turn made his complexion rival that of a tomato.

"We _seriously _need to get out and do something!"

He cursed under his breath and pried her vice-like grip from his waist.

"It's 5:00! Hell, even if it weren't raining hard enough to end a drought for the next 5 million years, we wouldn't even have anywhere to go!"

She seemed to ponder this, biting her lip in thought. She snapped as a thought crossed her mind.

"There's this new diner in town that I _really _wanna try!"

She had lied. There was no diner, she just wanted to get _out _of this house!

After pondering it for about 30 seconds or so, Bill finally, reluctantly, gave in with an exaggerated sigh. Mabel grinned at her victory and pumped a fist in the air, using her other hand to grab Bill's and make her way out the door with Bill in tow.

* * *

"Well this is just great," Bill shot at her, holding his arms over his head. She laughed nervously at him and shrugged sheepishly.

"Oops?" She offered with a small smile.

"_How could you forget an umbrella!?_"

"Hey, I said I was sorry!"

Bill glanced at her again and watched the raindrops gather on her hair and eyelashes, glistening in the moonlight. Her lips looked soft, yet cold as she puffed out visible breaths, an effect of the icy rain.

Maybe he should warm them up with his own lips.

Surely there had to be something wrong with him.

He ignored his own perverse thought process and shivered, rubbing his arms.

Suddenly, a very distinct and eerily familiar scent passed through the air, but it was gone as soon as it had come, and Bill didn't didn't pay any heed.

"Whatever. Where's this diner you were talking about?"

"Oh...er...I suppose now would be a good time to tell you that there is no diner in town?" She squeaked, cheeks pinking. His eyes opened abruptly, flicking to her as he fell back a few paces. His eyebrows twitched with agitation and he gritted his teeth.

_I will stay calm, I will stay calm, I will stay calm, _he chanted this mantra in his head, jogging to catch up with her.

"_Wait, wait, wait just a minute. _You mean to tell me. That you told me that you wanted to go somewhere, even _after_ me having said that I do in fact, _hate_ rain, no less, _**when you actually had no idea where you wanted to go? **__Are you trying to kill me!?_" he hissed, waving his arms about for emphasis.

She offered another sheepish smile and he groaned, throwing an arm over his face.

"Why do you hate me?" He mumbled, nasally voice muffled by the sleeve of his shirt.

She grinned and punched him in the stomach, causing him to make an '_oof_' sound.

"C'mon, I don't hate you. We're friends, right? Plus, we seriously needed to get out of that apartment. For your own personal health. And mine."

Mabel's mention of her considering them as 'friends' caused warmth to pool into Bill's stomach, yet he wouldn't– no, he _refused _to acknowledge it.

Another heavy wave of that distinct smell slammed into both parties, causing them to each pinch their noses and wave their arms around the air, trying to clear the smell.

It smelled...flammable, and….toxic?

"Is that...hairspray?" Mabel questioned, squinting and coughing into her sleeve. Bill shrugged, still trying to clear the air. He looked around, trying to locate the source of the scent, when his gaze fell upon a small shop, not too far off into the distance, with a lit up, six-fingered hand with an eye on the palm in the window. The shop looked to still be open, and for whatever reason, Bill felt compelled to enter it. Be it fate or a simple urge to get out of the torrential rain, he knew they would end up going inside. He tapped Mabel on the shoulder and pointed to the shop. She let out a sigh of relief and began to make her way over to it. When the two reached the shop, Bill nudged it open and let Mabel enter before he did. She wrung out her wet hair and peeled off her bulky sweater, tying it around her waist and leaving herself in a simple yellow tank top. The shop was only a single room, with quite the surplus of various 'psychic' necessities strewn about the room. It held an eerie yellow glow, as it was only illuminated by candles with the wax melting off in globs. It also held that sickeningly strong scent of hairspray.

Suddenly, the room began to grow dark as the candles were one by one blown out by an invisible force.

_What?_

Wave after wave of petrifying apprehension crashed into Mabel, causing her to lean against Bill for support. If there were ever a time for a haunted organ to start playing ominously, this would be it. The air began to feel cold on the rain-induced dampness on Mabel's forehead as thick tendrils of smoke curled around the once-lit wicks of the candles, evaporating into the chillingly still air of the shop.

A low blue glow surrounded an overstuffed and worn swivel chair that was tucked in the back of the shop, facing away from them. A shudder went through Mabel and she clutched Bill's forearm tighter. He clenched his fists. He couldn't put a finger on it, but something about this whole endeavor was all too familiar.

The door behind them swung shut, sending a blast of icy air onto Mabel and Bill.

A low and slightly deranged chuckle sounded from behind the chair, and painstakingly slow, it began to turn around with a creak reminiscent of that of nails on a chalkboard.

When it finally made its way all the way around, the blue illumination stretched further up the figure occupying the chair.

Mabel was horrified to find that it was….a fifteen year old kid?

He had stark white hair slicked back in the front, and his glowing blue eyes glinted dangerously. His legs were crossed as he leaned back in the chair, and Mabel noticed he was practically fondling some kind of amulet attached to a….bolo tie?

Bill groaned with dread and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You. Out of all the demons in the world we could've met, it had to be _you,_" he mumbled agitatedly.

Mabel's gaze swiveled between the two in confusion.

"You- you two know each other?"

She felt the kid's gaze rake across the entirety of her small body approvingly, which made her skin crawl and she tried with every fiber in her being not to cringe and/or gag. Bill rolled his eyes.

"Why, that we do, my peach dumplin'! The name's Gideon!" he responded with a high-pitched southern drawl, winking and getting up from the chair.

What was it with demons and obnoxious nicknames? She glanced at Bill.

"How do you even know each other? You're, like 21 and he's just a kid," she pondered, frowning.

Gideon scrunched up his face in confusion.

"21? He's 618," he added.

"Humans have longer years than us, for whatever reason. And he's...an acquaintance of mine," explained Bill to each party, still looking like he was perfectly ready to commit homicide. "You're about 15 in human years."

Gideon made a face and shook his head.

"Anyway, cut the crap, Kid, what was that menacing turning-chair-candle-blowing-out thing all about?"

Gideon shrugged, looking pleased with himself and made his way closer to the two.

"I merely sensed you were in town, so I decided to say howdy!"

Mabel gaped at him.

"That- that was not '_howdy', _that was '_I'm going to trap you in here and feast on your flesh while you're still alive'_!" She spluttered, flailing her arms about frantically. Gideon gave a low chuckle and moved into a much closer proximity with her than she deemed comfortable, resting an offending hand lightly on the small of her back. She irately eyed the hand, discomfort levels rising, and Bill, sensing this, slapped his hand away.

"And who might this be?" Gideon tried to continue smoothly, rubbing his hand and gritting his teeth.

"She's none of your damn business," Bill interjected just as Mabel had opened her mouth to introduce herself. She sent him a look and elbowed him lightly.

"I'm Mabel." She offered a hand to shake.

Gideon took it and pressed a kiss to the back, his eyelids lowering suggestively as he looked up at her. She plastered an unnatural and wobbly smile onto her face, discomfort tightening the muscles in her stomach.

Bill rolled his eyes again and suspiciously at the right time, a small coffee mug fell from a shelf above onto Gideon's head, emitting a yelp from the child. Bill snickered.

"Ah, whoops! Guess I haven't really gotten a handle on my powers in the human world, yet," He mused, lowering his girlish lashes and grinning widely in cocky amusement.

Gideon scowled, rubbing his head and mumbling under his breath.

Mabel frowned slightly. "Well, since all you wanted to do was say hello, I guess we can leave now?"

Gideon ignored the question and stared up at her.

"You really are a pretty flower, aren't ya?"

"I- what? I asked if we could leave."

Once again ignoring her comments, he grabbed her hand, intertwining his short fingers with her thin ones and bent down on one knee. Mabel spluttered and Bill stiffened, eye widening fractionally.

"Mabel, would you do me the honor of goin' on a date with widdle ol' me?" Bill coughed.

"Nope. She's not interested. Mabel, let's go," blurted Bill, grabbing her hand to lead her out the door.

Looking a bit frazzled, Mabel let him drag her along until they got to the shut door. Bill pulled on the handle, to no avail. Gideon chuckled darkly. It would have been adorable if it weren't so..._ominous_.

"That door isn't gonna budge anytime soon. I'll open it when she agrees to go on at least _one _date with me," He explained, holding up one finger.

Bill growled lowly underneath his breath.

"Listen up, butterball! You can't just _force _yourself on someone if she don't wanna date you! You got that? So open up the damn door and we'll get the hell outta here!" He ranted, kicking the door to emphasise his statement.

"Oh? And what makes you think I'd take direction from _you?_"

"I'm older than you, I'm smarter than you, I'm more _powerful _than you." He emphasised each reason with a step towards Gideon. "You need more reasons? The list's a mile long, Kid!"

Gideon's expression remained, for the most part, indifferent, other than the slightly widened eyes and the hardly-noticeable bead of sweat forming on his forehead. Mabel's nails dug into her palms as she clenched her fists.

"Stoppit! You're both getting on my nerves! Fine, whatever, I'll go out with you! But just _one _date," Mabel huffed, crossing her arms. Bill threw his arms up in exasperation and slight agitation.

A grin spread across Gideon's face. It was actually more of a leer than anything, in Mabel's opinion.

"Peachy. That worked out quite nicely. I'll pick you up tomorrow night at 7:00," Gideon stated matter-of-factly, a confident smirk fixed to his face.

Mabel waved a dismissive '_whatever_' hand, any previous irritation she might've had slowly seeping out of her. She didn't utter a word when Bill scoffed and swung the door open, once more grabbing her hand and leading her outside.

"She'll see you tomorrow," Bill spat through gritted teeth. Gideon smiled cheekily and blew a kiss in Mabel's direction, winking. She shielded her wide gaze with a casual brow at her hand.

As they began to walk, avoiding spots on the sidewalk that hadn't dried yet after the rain had stopped, Bill's grip on Mabel's hand didn't let up, instead tightening a fraction.

He was _livid. _He didn't even understand _why _he was so mad, just that he absolutely despised the fact that Mabel had agreed to go on a date with the likes of that _kid_. His blood sizzled with wrath and he dropped Mabel's hand to relentlessly chew on his pinkie nail. It wasn't like he wanted to be the one to date her instead, though. At least that's what he told himself, anyway. he watched her pink and yellow polka-dotted rainboots deliberately splash in each puddle as they walked past them.

"So, he was interesting, wasn't he?" She mumbled, realizing they needed to recap what had just happened.

"_Why did you agree to be his girlfriend?_" Bill snapped, gritting his teeth.

She blinked in confusion.

"I- what? _Girlfriend?_ It's a _date, _Bill, I'm not professing my undying love for him," she replied flatly, quirking a brow.

He let a small scowl slide across his lips and he crossed his arms defiantly.

"Whatever. All I'm saying is, kid's obnoxious. I used to know him, we met in the mindscape, and he is _obnoxiously arrogant. _Just warning ya, is all. I don't care. About the date."

There was a moment of bewilderment on Mabel's part before a cocky grin spread across her lips like warm butter as she crooked a finger in his face.

"Why, my dear William Cipher, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous!"

He coughed abruptly, choking on air as he began to splutter, flailing around and flushing for a minute while she snickered behind a hand.

"It- it's not _William, Shooting Star, _and _**no, in absolutely no possible way will there ever be an instance in space or time where I, Bill Cipher, am jealous.**_"

She shrugged, still grinning.

"Okey dokey, if you say so," she singsonged playfully, poking his cheek. He caught her finger with his hand and licked it, causing her to shriek.

"Ew! You just licked my finger, you weirdo!" She screeched, staring at the digit in question. It was his turn to snicker behind a hand.

"That's on you, if you didn't want me to lick your finger, you shouldn't have put it there in the first place."

She gaped at him, then back at the finger and wiped it on his shirt. He snorted and smirked down at her. The two fell into a comfortable silence as they walked, the only sounds being the faint chirp of crickets and the cool breeze rushing past their ears. Mabel sighed and glanced up at Bill. She had never noticed before, but the iris of his left eye was dark, almost black. She wandered a bit closer to him and her nose prickled with the very faint, almost unnoticeable scent of burning leaves, which was as enticing as it was strange. He smelled good, nonetheless. Her traveling gaze then caught the black eyepatch concealing his right eye. Curiosity settled around her like thick smoke around a fire. Did he lose his eye somehow? Why did he have an eyepatch? Maybe he wasn't even missing an eye? Someone could've injured him, or it could've been an unfortunate accident. Why the eyepatch?

Would it be rude to ask him? Before she could help herself, she blurted the question that had begun to plague her mind. His gaze snapped open and skirted to her as his hand flew up to touch the eyepatch self-consciously.

"I–"

"I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to! I respect your privacy and all, I was just curious. But seriously! You _really _don't have to tell me. Really! That's not to say that I'm not _curious, _obviously, I am, but you know, I just–"

Bill cut her off with a hand over her mouth.

"Stop babbling." He sighed, jaw working furiously. "Long story short, I lost it to another demon. That demon also happens to be going on a date with you tomorrow."

Her jaw went slack and she began to feel a bit dizzy.

"Oh, Bill, I'm so sorry, if I'd had any idea…" She trailed off, putting a hand to her forehead. He shook his head and waved dismissively.

"Depth perception is overrated anyway."

Mabel inhaled sharply and elbowed him in the side.

"Don't joke around about stuff like that, this is serious!"

He snickered and ruffled her hair.

"Meh. Seriously, though, I'm fine. I'm just teasing."

She huffed again and crossed her arms over her chest.

They once again fell into a comfortable silence and walked the rest of the way home, accompanied by only each other, the scent of lingering rain ,and the few twinkling stars that had decided to peek out from behind the pitch black sky.

* * *

As soon as they arrived home, Bill had to lean against the small bathroom door and wait while Mabel took a shower. She took long showers, too! But all because of the stupid bond, he had to sit there, resting his cheek on a hand, eye drifting shut every few seconds while being forced to listen to the muffled hiss of the water behind the door. The hygiene arrangement was this way, each party would shower while waiting for the other. It was excruciatingly awkward, but it worked. As minutes ticked away, Bill began to slowly nod off, chin resting on his chest as he allowed consciousness to ebb away slowly. His consciousness, however, snapped back in an instant as the bathroom door swung open, warm steam billowing from the shower, fogging up the mirror and causing Bill to catch the strong fragrance of whatever shampoo she had been using. He blinked in confusion for a second, looking around. Remembering where he was, he looked up at her and scooted out of her way so she could enter her room. She did, dragging Bill along with her through the bond as he refused to stand up. She shut the door in his face and emerged 10 minutes later with a towel wrapped around her neck which caught the water dripping from her wet hair, a tank top and fuzzy pajama shorts. Bill yawned and slumped into her room, falling limply onto the comforter that he usually slept on beside Mabel's bed.

"Aren't you going to change?"

He merely grunted in response and rolled over, thin t-shirt riding up his lanky frame. She averted her gaze, finding it excruciatingly difficult to _not_ be staring at his bare torso and hopped up onto her own bed, tucking her dainty legs underneath herself and tapping the 'call' button on Pacifica's number.

Two rings passed before a click sounded on the other line, signaling that Pacifica had picked up the phone.

"Eh?" The girl grunted gruffly upon picking up the phone.

"Pacifica, I have a situation."

There was a pause before she responded.

"Mabel, it's," another pause. "It's 12:00 at night."

"It's actually morning, technically. But that's not my issue," Mabel replied, curling a lock of still-damp wavy brown hair around her finger. She heard Pacifica sigh heavily.

"So, I have to go on a date tomorrow–"

"Wait, what? With who? Is it Bill? I _knew_ that asshole was trying to put the moves on you! _Mabel, whatever you do, no matter what he says, __**don't have sex with him. **_You got that?"

Mabel nearly went into cardiac arrest as Pacifica finished speaking.

"I'm not– not _doing it _with _Bill! Now stop! Let me finish!"_

"Bill will let you finish, if you catch my drift," Pacifica cut in haughtily.

"_**PACIFICA!**_"

She heard Bill stir ever so slightly from the floor and cringed, praying to high heaven that she hadn't woken him.

"Sorry," she heard the other girl mumble.

She let out a puff of air, the mottled red in her cheeks slowly fading away.

"I have to go on a date tomorrow. With a 15 year old kid." For some reason, she refrained from mentioning that aforementioned 15 year old kid was a demon. Nonetheless one who had taken out Bill's eye.

She heard Pacifica choke on air and cough.

"Mabel. Hon," She stuttered, gathering her bearings. "If you really were that desperate for a date, I could've totally set you up with someone."

Mabel sighed.

"That's not why. Let's just leave it at the fact that I was obligated to. Anyway, I don't want him to want to want to go out with me again. He needs to understand that this was a one-time thing."

Pacifica sighed.

"Look. I'll tell you what. I'll come over tomorrow before the date and make you look _fabulous. _Too fabulous. That way, he'll realize that you're _way _out of his league and that he should just give up before he embarrasses himself. How does that sound?"

Mabel bit her lip.

"I don't know, that doesn't sound like it'll work very well…" she trailed off.

"Aw, come on! Its foolproof!"

"Er...okay. Fine. Do whatever you want, but if it doesn't get rid of him, it'll be your fault."

Pacifica scoffed in arrogance.

"I guarantee you that won't happen."

Mabel sighed again.

"Okay. Bye, Pacifica," she mumbled, ending the call.

She laid down, snuggling deeper into her sheets and squeezing her eyes shut, letting sleep take her under in preparation for what would come tomorrow.

* * *

"No. Absolutely not," Bill argued, shaking his head. Mabel was not going out like that.

Pacifica had coated Mabel's lashes in dark mascara and her eyelids were shimmery and gold. She wore a black cocktail dress with a gold, shimmery sash around the waist. She was wearing black flats that contrasted with the creamy white of her legs and her lips were glossed and looked puffy. Her hair was done up into a curled bun that showed off the delicate skin of her neck with wavy tendrils of hair hanging down, framing her face. Bill shook his head again, throat constricting. Yet even he knew, there was no way he could stop her from doing this. He would have to sit at another table and watch her flirt with his enemy, looking like that. He exhaled roughly.

Just peachy.

**A/N:** originally, this chaptER was gOing to have the date in it, but it became too long, so you'll have to wait until next time!


End file.
